The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-06-02
Strong Probabilities That it May be
Obtained in or Near the City
of Emporis.
Coal Cropping Out of the Ground in
Many Places in Lyon
County,
And q So-CaIIed Coal Oil Well
Within Six Miles of Cur
City.
An Expert Says Gas Can be Found
at a Depth Of Five Hundred
Feet.
How the Discovery of Gas Was Made
and Utilized in the State of
Indiana.

vestigated have not failed to be re-
rewarded, and in every case that we
know of where the people have gone
down after gas, they have found it.
Fort Scott has over twenty wells, sup
plying an unlimited quantity of gas.
At Paola and OssaWatomie gas has been
struck in immense quantities, and new
wells are being sunk at each place. In
Abilene, we are given to understand,
they have also struck splendid flow
ing reservoir. And in every case where
it has been found such an impulse has
been given to business of every kind as
was never dreamed of before.
Take the map of Kansas and draw a
straight line from Fit. Scoot to Abilene
and it will go directly through EN-
poria.
Moral: If gas can be had at the two
former places, why not at the latter?
AT least this is the theory as promul-
gated in the article below from the
Scientific American, wherein it is
stated that the Indiana gas belt ex-
tends from northwest to southeast, as
Scott, including Emporia.
But, outside of theorizing, we have
good reasons to believe that coal oil and
gas may be had for the searching in the
immediate vicinity of Emporia, as oil
supposed to be petroleum-has been
discovered in a well lately dug on the
farm of George Parkman, formerly
known as the Ward farm, about six
miles northeast of this city, and coal in
abundance crops out of the ground
within twenty feet of the well. Speci-
mems of this oil, we are told, are to be
sent east to-day for analysis.
A Mr.. Jones. who resides at Neosho
Rapids, and who has successfully sunk
over sixty gas wells in the Pennsylva-
fields, says there is every indication
which would lead one to believe that
natural gas abounds in this vicinity,
and further says it is his undoubting
opinion that in certain localities with
in short distance of our corporate linn
its gas can be tapped at no greater
depth than five hundred feet.
DIR. Janeway, who has Investigated
the subject to considerable extent,
says he is convinced from close study
of our rock formation and other indica-
lions that gas can be obtained in album
dance if proper effort is made for it.
The following article from the Scien-
tific American of April 16 details the
trials and tribulatiOns of boring for gas
in Indiana, that has proven so success
full in various localities. 1t should en-
courage the people of Emporia to
more active and persevering efforts.
The article says:
At New Albany, Indiana, there is a
thin seam of bituminous shale whence
little rills of petroleum trickle down
into the Ohio river. In former days,
before the geology of the country was
understood, it was supposed that this
indicated coal, but now it is known
that the shale in question belongs to
an older period shan the carbOniferous.
Attempts to use it for fuel was tinsue-
cesSful. Last summer, however, the
idea occurred to the capitalist Wash
ington DePauw, that boring for natural
gas might meet with reward. He tried
the experiment, hoping thus to facili-
tate the manufacture of glass, in which
he is extensively engaged, so as to COM
pete with PlttSburg and other points
where fuel is cheaper than in southern
Indiana. Mr.. DePauw was warned
by Prof. COllett that in order to find
gas he would have to 'bOre up, instead
of down" at that point, geologically
speaking. He was finally convinced
that his labor Would be fruitless, and
gave it up. But the ruInor of his ex-
periments went abroad, and others re-
peated them in different localities with
varying success. l have taken some
pains to collect the facts from anthem
tic sources.
Early last fall boring was drilled at
Portland, near the Ohio line and about.
forty miles north Of Richmond. The
result was a small flow of gas, but not
In Quantity sufficient TO be of CONNER
cial Importance. After this failure
matters stood still at Portland for
awhile, and courage was revived by
success elsewhere and now there are
three good paying wells at Portland.
Two years ago the Fort Wayne, Gin
cinnati u Louisville Railroad company
prospected for coal at Eaton, village
ten miles north of the city of Muncie.
They went down 600 feet and then
abandoned the works. Last October,
in view of the experiments referred to
above, they decided to sink thsir wells
deeper in search of gus, and found it in
good Strong flow, which gradually in
creased, until now the discharge is
known to be million cubic feet in
twenty-four hours.
The next well was drilled at Muncie
IA city of 1900 inhabitants) by the citi-
Zens of that place. Since then there
have been six other wells drilled there,
making seven in all, varying in capaci-
ty firm 300, 900 up to :, 900 900 cubic feet
per diem. These wells are controlled
by the Natural Gas Company of Indi-
ana, !" to the courtesy of whose mana
ger, Mr.. G. n. WilcOxon, the writer is
indebted for much of his information.
Since then, three good wells have been
drilled in KokOmo, three at Marion,
and two at NobleSville, smaller and of
less pressure than those farther east.
The gas is used now in all these places
both for purposes of heating and
Illuminating, supplanting everything
All these gas wells are found in Tren-
ton limestone, where the rock is porous
and the strata has been free from dis
turbance. In localities where there
have been upheavalS, there are indica-
tons that gas once existed and escaped
through creviceS, leaving the rocks bar
rem. The strata vary in their depth
below the surface from $50 to $40 feet.
Their thickness varies from so to IS
feet, and with very slight depth. The
everything formations are as follows:
Soil and drift, varying from few feet
to $50 feet. Niagara limestone, about |
80 feet more; then states and shales
till the Trenton limestone is reached.
The field as now developed covers an
area Of twenty miles wide by sixty long
from east to west and the STRAIT. rms
in direction from northwest to south
east.
KArb0F0u&h's Condition.
The condition of the health of the
prisoner, Marlborough, is a matter of
concern to his physician |
and his friends. On Friday last ha was